In Shimoga, police registered a case of rape against
Halappa after the victim formally lodged a complaint.

The FIR would be forwarded to CID in Bangalore, Shimoga
District Superintendent of Police Murugan told reporters.

The Congress staged a day-long dharna in the state
capital and protested in parts of the state demanding the
immediate arrest of Halappa who resigned after a media report
that claimed he had sexually assaulted his friend`s wife.

A delegation of Congress leaders called on Governor H R
Bhardwaj and presented him a memorandum demanding dismissal of
the state government and CBI probe into the issue.

Yeddyurappa flayed the opposition for raking up the issue
even after Halappa`s resignation and ordering of CID probe and
wondered why the issue was being raised days before next
week`s gram panchayat elections when the incident had
allegedly taken place in November last year.

"There is no doubt that it`s a conspiracy", State unit
BJP President K S Eswarappa said.

"Police will take action s per law. We will not pre-empt,
we will not prompt or side-track anything" Home Minister Dr V
S Acharya said after discussions with DGP Ajay Kumar Singh.

Halappa has dismissed the charge as baseless and said it
was a political conspiracy to defame him.